Drive In...a really late night of fun!

We (Joe and I) used to go to the drive in theater all the time when we were in college.  It probably had to do with a couple of things.  First, we love movies and the drive in was a cheap way to see not one, but two first run movies.  Second, we loved cuddling up in the back of whoever's pickup truck we happened to fill the dorm mattresses up with even though we were usually with other people too.  For clarification, Joe and I were the only ones cuddling with each other.  There very well could have been others cuddling with each other but we had/have a strict "only cuddle with each other rule".  Third, we were resident assistant's in those dorms who had missing mattresses from them during the summer and so we tried to keep our behavior on the up and up.

Anyway, before I go down memory lane too much, I have to say that it is exciting that we have a drive in so close to us here in Salem.  It is only about 25 miles away in Dallas and we haven't taken advantage of it nearly enough...which is why it ended up on our list.

It is tough thing to get away for a drive in movie when you have a little kid. It is a super late night, so it is pretty much impossible to find a babysitter willing to hang out until 3 in the morning unless you can talk your sister or your mother in law into it.  But, we they are actually here, it is nice to hang out with them instead of letting them hang out in the house when the main reason they have come to visit is sleeping down the hallway.

So, I have been waiting for the drive in to have a kids movie for the first movie and this last weekend I got lucky!  Despicable Me 2 was playing as the first movie with Superman as the second movie.  Despicable Me (the first one) is an adorable movie that both Taelin and Joe love.  (Joe giggles so much as the little yellow minion guys that it just cracks me up.) Anyway, when I saw that the sequel was at the drive in, I knew our time had come!

Last Friday there was a mandatory nap in the later afternoon for both Taelin and I so that we could both make it through the movie/s we were going to try to make.  Taelin had a really hard time understanding how we were going to drive into the "movie center" and stay in our car and hear the movie.  It was all very foreign to her so she wasn't too excited until I told her that during the second movie (that was going to be very late and not at all appropriate for her) she was going to get to sleep in her sleeping bag in the back of the car.  Now that was cool and something to get excited about!

We got there around 8:30 (because I didn't know that "dusk" and "sunset" were two different things) and barely found a spot up in the front but off to the side.  Sunset was at 9:00...dusk was at 10:00.  The movie started at dusk.  (Let's just say that we were all grateful for the mandatory naps earlier!)

We wouldn't do it all the time but I have to say it was a lot of fun!  The movies were good, not great, but the whole experience was great.  We rolled in around 3 a.m. and because I am a planning kind of person, Taelin was in her p.j.'s and ready to plop in bed.  We were all a little sleepy the next day but luckily didn't have a huge day planned, just a trip down the river in the kayak.

And with that, another thing is checked off the list!  Here are some super grainy pictures from our evening of fun!

Man, I love this girl!

And he is pretty cool too.  :)

We were WAY off to the side!

Not much cuddling for me during the first movie!